<h1>Minister denies country acted as Russian oil 'laundromat', says purchases followed G7/EU price-cap rules and lawful channels</h1> A government minister rejected allegations by a foreign administration adviser that the country acted as a 'laundromat' for Russian oil, stating purchases complied with international rules, the G7/EU price-cap regime, and used lawful shipping, insurance and audited channels. The minister asserted no sanctions were breached, export volumes and margins predated the conflict, and domestic measures mandated local sales and absorbed fiscal costs to stabilize prices. Legally, the defence rests on adherence to multilateral price-cap mechanisms and lack of prohibitive sanctions on Russian crude; the primary legal exposure is reputational and political, contingent on proof of illicit routing or sanctions evasion.